USA have around 5 % of the worlds population but use 25 % of the oil that is produced every year. Can that continue? No. The first thing to do is to DOUBLE the gas prices. And to start buying smaller cars that use less petrol.

The U.S. will always use more fuel than elsewhere, simply because of the way the U.S. is set up. A general and historic dislike of high-density living, and the resultant far-flung suburbs make for very difficult problem for mass transit in most areas, and private cars seems to be the only solution for most Americans, unless you want to tear everything down and start from scratch.

But I agree that Americans are far too attached to cars and SUVs that weigh 2 or 3 tons. Let's face it, how often do you fill up the back of that Suburban? Wouldn't you be financially better off having a smaller car and renting a U-Haul when you need something bigger? Maybe it's a form of George Carlin's "bigger dick" theory at work here...

It was only a matter of time before someone decided to place the blame on the US for all of this. While the US uses more than anyone else, they also produce more than most, have more land than most, and more people than most.

While I do agree that the US needs to make efforts to streamline its use a little, to blame them for the current crisis is just more of the same ole BS that usually gets fired at them.

The arab nations do NOT want the price of Oil to fall, and especially not to fall very far as they are the main benefactors to these inflated oil prices. 43 dollars a barrel is great for them.

In today's OPEC meeting Iran specifically objected to the raise in production of oil as they did not want to the price tumble.

USA have around 5 % of the worlds population but use 25 % of the oil that is produced every year.
Also the USA accounts for 25% of global gas emissions and 36% of emissions from the industrialised world.. not good. Hope it changes someday..

Also the USA accounts for 25% of global gas emissions and 36% of emissions from the industrialised world.. not good. Hope it changes someday..
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Maybe if some of the other countries that had huge populations paid their citizens more than a bowl of rice a day, then they too would be able to afford a car, or a stereo or many of the other things that Oil goes towards producing. I am even willing to bet that the box of tissues from KROC would have used up some oil along the way.

I actually saw a very interesting interview on CNN international yesterday. The guy who was being interviewed was some editorial guy from National Geographics. I can't remember his name. But he told some very interesting things about the us of oil.
You practicly use oil for everything. Even when you make a napkin case like KROC showed above you used a hell of a lot of oil.

I was actually amazed when he told how much oil the world uses to get thru the day. I can't really remember the figures. But damn they were high!

And of course the big SUV's have a small responsibility for this. But guys. Have you looked around on european roads? You see SUV's everywhere and big mercedes, BMW's and Range Rovers and many more.

Maybe if some of the other countries that had huge populations paid their citizens more than a bowl of rice a day, then they too would be able to afford a car, or a stereo or many of the other things that Oil goes towards producing. I am even willing to bet that the box of tissues from KROC would have used up some oil along the way.

That's great logic just because westerners get paid more money that gives us the right to consume the world in our own arrogance. Just because we can doesn't mean we should.

We can't keep sticking our head's in the sand and think everything is going to be fine. We know the blame is not all down to the US, but a line in the sand is going to have to been drawn sooner or later before we completely screw the planet up.

That's great logic just because westerners get paid more money that gives us the right to consume the world in our own arrogance. Just because we can doesn't mean we should.
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The point I was making, and was also made by QIguy24 is that Oil gets used up in the production of almost everything (if not everything). Thus the US being a leading producer of many things, and having a large wealthy population, they consume more than others. Even if you took all the large SUV's off the road, it would make about 1% of a difference to the overall use of oil.

Unless the US moves back into the dark ages along with the likes of Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq etc, they are going to use lots of oil. This is just a fact of life. China and India use a ridiculous amount of oil also, and their use of it is rising massively. More people making more things for more people to buy.

Except of course in Sweden where no one uses any oil, drives any SUV's and certainly does not use any oil for any sort of manufacturing...

What end of the world are you from?
I see at least 3 SUV's on my way to the bus every morning. And that is only a 5 min. walk And that is in Basel.
And the streets here are absolutly tiny. I wonder my self what the heck they need it for..

Oh, and by the way if you try to search for SUV's under a used carsales homepage in Germany, Sweden or Norway I'll bet you will find a lot

you try fitting a Ford Explorer down some of the side streets in Nice or Antibes
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I do recall seeing plenty of Ferarri Testarossa cruising around in Nice, and do not recall having any problems navigating our gas guzzling V12 Jaguar around the streets of Juan Les Pins, which is in Antibes.

I live in the S. of France - French roads tend to squeeze in as many lanes as possible for some reason, making the purchase of big ol' SUV a bit dangerous, as you are liable to hit the guy next to you even if you stay in the middle of your lane. You really don't see that many - most of the SUV's you do see are Brits in Range-Rovers or Germans in BMW X5's.

"Have you looked around on european roads? You see SUV's everywhere and big mercedes, BMW's and Range Rovers and many more."

you see very few, especially in comparison to the u.s.

"The point I was making, and was also made by QIguy24 is that Oil gets used up in the production of almost everything (if not everything)."
the problem is not oil or gas but yes, the overall use which you correctly pointed out

"Thus the US being a leading producer of many things,"
hate to break it to you, but the u.s. is not a lead producer of things anymore. you either have the quantity products from asia or the quality products from europe. in the world market, except arms, u.s. produced products play a very small role. the majority of u.s. production is made up of inferior products for the u.s. domestic market(cars are a good example). even u.s. companies in general produce in different locations because you can get a better productivity in asia and better quality of manufacture in europe/japan. which leads to the next point

"and having a large wealthy population,they consume more than others."
indeed, the consumption is the crux to the oil problem. it has not so much to do with the wealth people have in the u.s., but how its spent.

"Even if you took all the large SUV's off the road, it would make about 1% of a difference to the overall use of oil."
limit suvs to people who need them like hunters, encourage energy saving and raise the price for electricity and raise awareness of water and electricity saving behaviour and you will have a shitload of a difference.

"Unless the US moves back into the dark ages along with the likes of Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq etc, they are going to use lots of oil. This is just a fact of life. China and India use a ridiculous amount of oil also, and their use of it is rising massively. More people making more things for more people to buy."

if you go visit various countries with a great record on enviromental issues, you would discover that the daily life and infrastructure is in fact alot more advanced then the one in the u.s.
maybe the u..s should come out of the dark ages?

"Except of course in Sweden where no one uses any oil, drives any SUV's and certainly does not use any oil for any sort of manufacturing..."
of course people do, but despite the long swedish winter and harsh road conditions, people still manage to consume less oil per captia.
and mind you sweden has a very low population density, buying power at least equal to that of the u.s. and a weather that is perfect for high energy use scenarios due to COLD winters and HOT summers.

I know there aren't as many as in the US. I think they have to many compared to what they need it for. But I think it's wrong for europeans to blame it on the US when we drive in exactly the same cars here.

" But I think it's wrong for europeans to blame it on the US when we drive in exactly the same cars here."

we dont. just because a few random idiots drive suvs over here doesnt mean that the average cars are similar.
in europe cars are in general smaller and consume less fuel. besides that as i pointed out before, the main problem is not just consumption of fuel by cars, but energy consumption in general due to the non existant ecological awareness and the largely "dark ages" infrastructure in houses etc.
a good example is the new york problem: living in certain older houses, in winter the heating is centrally turned on, but to regulate it you have to use the air condition.

hate to break it to you, but the u.s. is not a lead producer of things anymore.
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Is that so, who do you think is the world's largest exporter of Agricultural products is ?, never mind farming equipment and literally hundreds of other items..., look it up, the US while clearly not the leader in everything, produces and exports a ridiculous amount of items each year.

you would discover that the daily life and infrastructure is in fact alot more advanced then the one in the u.s.
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Of this I have no doubt. The problem for me is that I am more of the opinion that we should be living a more simple life, and living of the land in a self sustaining community would be fantastic, but It just pisses me off when people just decide to attack the US for everything. I am not even American.

While the US uses more than anyone else, they also produce more than most, have more land than most, and more people than most.

How stupid !!

Can't you read Artsy ?
Your country is by far the first in term of oil / inhabitant.

More people than most ? LOL !

Maybe if some of the other countries that had huge populations paid their citizens more than a bowl of rice a day, then they too would be able to afford a car

If India and China lived the same way as Americans, oil would be a rare good, and extremely expensive.

Another interesting point: the CO2 released in the atmosphere is going to reach a maximum in about 1 century. Why a maximum ? Just because the earth cannot physically stand more than a limit. The effects will be simple but radicals, and the USA won't be spared by the consequences.
I would prefer if Americans were a little smarter and decided to drive smaller and efficient cars, and develop cleaner electricity. But considering the answers by KROC and other smart guys, they are not on the good way.

First of all, I don't know why you guys are bashing SUVs. Most of them get fairly good gas mileage for the weight of the vehicle. Not only that, but there are plenty of luxury sedans which get terrible gas mileage. Why don't you bitch at Europeans for owning 7-series and Mercedes tank-mobiles? European cities are more centralized than American cities--thus making using mass transit a more viable and convenient alternative. You go 10 miles outside of Paris and you're hitting farm land. You go 10 miles outside of Los Angeles and you're basically still in the big city.

Here, Europe, we'll make you a deal--if you stop playing soccer, we'll stop driving SUVs.

BTW, Zak, do they award trophies in Germany to the most anti-American citizen? If so, you'll definitely be in the running. Now go cry some more.

I know both you and Jaspike don't blame the US for this. But if you read BoFredriks post you see it clearly that some Europeans blame the US.

But I agree with you that they could do something about their houses. Get them well isolated helps alot. We did it to our house when I lived in Denmark. We saved a lot of money on energy. And Energy needs oil to keep it going. And there we probably saved alot of oil as well.